The Unlikely Pet
by Willowfur and Piper
Summary: Cloud didn't really know what to expect when he came home to find a python wrapped around his boyfriend's arm. And for the life of him he cannot remember why he let Genesis even keep it. Slightly AU. Oneshot. Genesis/Cloud Note: My screw up has been fixed, it is the right story now.


"Genesis, what is that thing wrapped around your arm?"

"It's our new pet!"

"That's not a pet, that's a wild animal."

Genesis Rhapsodos looked at his boyfriend and then to the snake wrapped around his arm. "It's ok Aster, he didn't mean it," Genesis cooed to the snake, barely taking notice of Cloud rolling his eyes at him.

"You named it already?"

Genesis fake gasped at him. "Of course I named him already! I couldn't take him home nameless."

"Why Aster?" Cloud asked, simply raising an eyebrow at Genesis, whom was stroking the snakes brown head softly. The snake itself had dark green patches on and looked about 12 feet long and was currently suffocating Genesis's arm, not the he minded. Really, his arm had lost so much feeling, someone could have cut it off and he wouldn't notice.

"Not sure. It fits him!" Genesis announced happily. Cloud found himself rolling his eyes again. Was he seriously being replaced by a python? And python? I could have at least been a dog or a cat, but really? A python?

"I'm going to make dinner," Cloud said to Genesis who hadn't looked up from Aster.

* * *

While making dinner, Cloud couldn't help but feel a little lonely. Genesis was still in the living room with Aster, not in the kitchen with him, hovering over his shoulder like he usually was. Cloud shook his head.

_I am over thinking this. _Cloud thought to himself. _It is just a snake. Not another person. It's not like I caught him with some other guy. Just a snake._

So, why did Cloud feel like he had caught Genesis with another guy? It was just an animal after all.

"Dinner's ready," he called to Genesis who finally looked up and blinked at him.

"Right."

Cloud frowned at him. "That means put the snake down and come here to eat."

Genesis glanced around.

"Please tell me you get a cage or something to put that snake into."

Genesis let out a nervous laugh. "Of course I did."

"Then where is it?"

Genesis didn't have answer because he had in fact, forgotten to get a cage of some sort.

"I can get one tomorrow."

"We will get one after dinner," Cloud said, running his hand through his blond hair. No way in hell was that thing sleeping in _their _bed. If snakes even slept. Cloud wasn't sure and he didn't really care. He was more worried about the fact that the snake- Aster- would probably strangle them while they slept.

And so, after Cloud finished cleaning up from dinner, he grabbed his boyfriend's arm and dragged him out to the nearest pet store to get a cage for Aster.

At the store, Cloud talk to the woman at the front while Genesis trailed behind him, still obsessing about that snake.

Cloud looked at the poor woman in the front, her eyes bugged at the snake that was wrapped around Genesis's arm.

"Is he ok?" she asked, looking from Genesis, to the snake, to Cloud.

"I'd like to say yes to that question, but I'm not entirely sure myself," Cloud said. "So, do you have something big enough?"

"We might have something in the back, I'll go check for you," she said as she hastily walked towards the back of the store.

"Wait here," Cloud told Genesis. "And I swear if you let that damn snake go I will shoot it."

And Genesis didn't move, much to Cloud's surprise. Meanwhile, Cloud headed towards the small rodents section. _Snakes eat mice right?_

"Can I help you?" a deep voice behind him asked.

A man with brown hair looked at him with the red "PetSupplies" vest on.

"I need a few mice," Cloud muttered quietly.

The man nodded and went to a brightly colored desk to grab a cage for the mice.

"How many do you need?"

"Ten." That would make it to the end of the week, right? Cloud sure hoped so.

The man gave him a strange look before collecting ten mice and handing the cage to Cloud.

"Thank you sir," Cloud said before going back to join Genesis at the front.

When he arrived, Genesis had gotten the snake in the cage and had his arms crossed and was lightly tapping his toe.

"Ready?" Genesis asked as Cloud approached him.

"Yup."

Genesis noticed the cage in Cloud's hands. "What are the mice for?"

"That snake has to eat something, doesn't it?"

Genesis silently applauded his boyfriend for remembering that.

"Come on, we need to check out."

* * *

Cloud really wanted to kill that snake.

Seriously wanted to murder it.

But he resisted. But now, he really did feel replaced. He had barely talked to Genesis lately because of that snake. He hadn't touched him and to make everything worse, Genesis took that snake _everywhere._

He had no issues with a pet. None at all. He did have issues with said pet stealing the attention.

He had a lot of issues with that. Another issue he had, Genesis was cooing at the snake constantly.

Genesis only ever 'cooed' at him.

"Would you shut up?" he finally snapped at Genesis.

"What's your issue?" Genesis said, letting Aster wrap around his leg.

"My issue is you," Cloud growled at him. "You are all over that snake! It's like the only thing you care about!"

"That's not true."

"Then prove it."

Silence followed.

"Should have known," Cloud said softly before turning and leaving Genesis alone.

* * *

Aerith was making dinner for herself and her boyfriend Zack when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Zack yelled from the living room before scurrying to answer the door.

To Zack's surprise, there was a very distraught Cloud on the other side of the door who looked about ready to burst into tears.

"Aww, Cloudy!" Zack said. "What's wrong?"

"It's Genesis," Cloud said, letting a little bit of anger seep into his voice.

"What about him?"

"Oh! Cloud," Aerith said, entering the room. "What's wrong? Here, come in, sit down."

Zack guided him to the couch while Aerith shut the door before following.

"Now, tell me what's wrong," Zack said.

"Well, you see Genesis got this snake…"

* * *

Genesis stared at the door. And stared. And stared.

How did he not notice Cloud increasingly getting more annoyed with him?

_Staring will not make Cloud come back. _He thought to himself.

Genesis quickly put Aster in his cage before grabbing him phone and tapping in the familiar numbers.

"Hello?" an answer came on the third ring.

"Hey Angeal," Genesis said. "I screwed up."

"What did you do now, Genesis?" Angeal asked, using his "parental" voice, as Zack put it.

"I may have been paying more attention to our pet than him."

"That doesn't seem like a big screw up."

"When I say, that, I mean I've been paying more attention our pet than him for a few weeks."

"Oh Genesis…"

* * *

Once Cloud finished his story, Zack had begun to babble on about something or other. It didn't really have to do with his issue, but he knew Zack meant well. Aerith had gone back into the kitchen to finish dinner.

"Well, maybe your over thinking things Cloud," Zack said.

"That's what I thought too, when Genesis first got Aster," Cloud said. "Now, I'm not so sure."

"Well, you can stay here for tonight," Zack offered.

"Thanks Zack," Cloud said.

"You boys hungry?" Aerith called from the kitchen door.

"Boy am I!" Zack said, excitedly before dashing into the kitchen, leaving Cloud to just shake his head at his friend.

* * *

"You need to talk to him, Genesis," Angeal said sternly over the phone. Genesis sat at his dining table, a glass of whiskey in his hand. "And you need to stop drinking, that won't help either."

"I know," Genesis said. "Should I call him, or see if he comes back?"

"Give him a little space," Angeal said. "Try to call him in the morning and do not drink yourself into oblivion."

"I'll try," Genesis stated. "But I'm not promising anything."

On his side of the line, Angeal rolled his eyes. "Goodbye Genesis."

"Bye 'Geal."

* * *

The next morning, Cloud registered two things. One, he was not on his comfy bed and two, there was a lack of another body next to him.

Opening his eyes, he realized that he was not at home. Momentarily confused, he glanced around the room.

_Ah, that's right. _Cloud thought. Rubbing his eyes, Cloud smelled the very crisp smell of bacon in the air, meaning Aerith was awake and making breakfast.

"Something smells good," he yelled into the kitchen.

"I'd hope so," is the reply he got from Aerith.

"Come one Spikey! Breakfast is ready," is what he got from Zack.

"Alright, I'm coming," Cloud called.

"Morning Cloudy!" Zack said once Cloud had sat down at their table. Aerith soon joined them with a rather large pile of bacon with fried eggs and toast.

"Dig in!" she happily instructed Zack and Cloud.

And so, they did. Well, Zack did. Cloud nibbled on some bacon.

"I'm going to go home," Cloud finally said after the rare minutes of silence that happened when Zack was around.

"Alright Cloud," Aerith said.

"You welcome here anytime buddy!" Zack said happily.

Cloud nodded to Zack before setting out towards his shared apartment.

* * *

Genesis glanced at the clock for the millionth time that morning. Should he call? Impatiently, he tapped the table with his fingers.

"Genesis!" a voice called throughout the apartment as the door opened and shut.

The auburn haired man looked up to see Cloud standing there, arms crossed.

"Cloud!" Genesis sprang up and dashed towards Cloud, hugging him. "I am so sorry. I'll get rid of the snake, I promise! Just don't leave me again."

"Genesis, I was only gone for a night," Cloud pointed out. "And you don't need to get rid of the snake."

"But, you-"

"Yes, I was upset," Cloud started. "But I took a night off and cooled down a little. You can keep Aster, I don't mind. But please remember that it is not just you and that snake in the house, please?"

Genesis leaned in and kissed him.

"Trust me," Genesis said. "Aster won't come in-between us again."

"Good."

* * *

**END! **

**Geez, I really hoped I could have gotten more done tonight. Well, I'll work on the next few chapters of my other stories tomorrow. **

**So yeah…**

**Bye!**


End file.
